News Item: 00053

14th Mar 2008

$5 million reward for stolen paintings

Source: http://www.gardnermuseum.org

Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum reissues its commitment to a $5 million reward, ensures complete confidentiality for information leading to the return of the stolen artworks.

In the early morning hours of March 18th, 1990, as Boston wrapped up its city-wide celebration of St. Patrick's Day, thirteen priceless works of art, including three Rembrandts, a Vermeer, a Manet, and five Degas drawings, were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. This year marks the eighteenth anniversary of the theft, the largest art heist from a museum - and a mystery that the Gardner Museum is prepared to pay $5 million to solve. The case remains an open, active investigation, and a top priority of the Museum.

"The theft of these rare and important treasures of art is a tragic loss to the art world and to society as a whole," says Anne Hawley, the Norma Jean Calderwood Director of the Gardner Museum. "Imagine never being able to hear a performance of Beethoven's Fifth, read Herman Melville's Moby Dick, or listen to a Louis Armstrong jazz piece ever again. Art has the power to inspire thinking and creativity, and the loss of these remarkable masterpieces removes a part of our culture, essential to our society."

The stolen artworks include some of the world's most important cultural riches: Rembrandt's only known seascape Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633); the contemplative and remarkable The Concert (1658-1660), one of only 34 known Vermeers in the world; a delightful series of drawings by Edgar Degas; and additional works by Rembrandt, Manet, Flinck, and two objects: a finial from a Napoleonic flag; and a Chinese Ku, or beaker. Empty frames now hang where the Vermeer, the Flinck, and two Rembrandts used to be in the Dutch Room, "as an homage to the missing works and a permanent place holder until their return," according to Hawley.

The Gardner Museum is offering a reward totaling $5 million for information leading directly to the return of the stolen artworks in good condition. Anyone with information about the theft or the location of the stolen artworks, no matter how seemingly small, is encouraged to contact the Gardner Museum's Director of Security Anthony Amore directly at 617 278 5114 or theft@gardnermuseum.org. The museum can ensure complete confidentiality. Anonymous tips can be provided to the Museum via the mailing or physical address at 280 The Fenway, Boston, or staff offices at 2 Palace Road, Boston 02115. The investigation remains also a top priority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s Art Crime Team, and of the Office of the United States Attorney for Massachusetts.

The Gardner increased the reward from $1 million to $5 million in 1995. In November 2007, the Museum's Board of Trustees voted to renew the $5 million reward and its commitment to securing the return of the Gardner's artworks. The Museum hopes that the story of the Gardner theft will appeal to the public's sense of civic pride and that the $5 million reward will encourage individuals to come forward with any information about the case or the location of the stolen artworks. Two of the Rembrandts, the Vermeer, and the Flinck are large oil paintings. The Degas drawings and the Manet painting are smaller. The Rembrandt self-portrait, an etching, is the size of a postage stamp. The Museum also implores the individual or individuals holding the stolen artworks to protect them. The artworks should be kept in optimal conditions that do not allow for swings in temperature and humidity, ideally at 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% humidity.

"The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a work of art itself," says Hawley. "Isabella Gardner installed her galleries in a personal way to engage visitors in conversations with great art. With these artworks gone, her Museum is incomplete. We look forward to the day these works of art are returned to the Museum and an awaiting public where they belong." Immediately following the theft, the Museum redoubled its commitment to Isabella Gardner's legacy and put its energy toward a Renaissance including improvements to the security of the collection and galleries, and enriched programming to reignite the museum's relevance and vitality. Robust security and surveillance systems at the Museum are state-of-theart and in a constant state of upgrade to ensure the museum's interests and future. The Gardner also today remains committed to the protection and preservation of Isabella Gardner's collection and palace as a cultural resource "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.